Watching Movies 4/21/24

This is a problematic film, and not just because of the racism. The first half is just about perfect, building up the idyllic life on the plantation and establishing all the character relationships only to have it all come crashing down because of the war. The way it keeps us interested in Scarlett's problems and desires with war as a backdrop is textbook epic romance. Throw in the memorable theme music, gorgeous color photography, and grandly executed set pieces and you have a masterpiece. It's in the second half where the film falters. The story becomes more episodic and melodramatic, and there are sequences like the raid on the camp that could be easily excised without affecting anything aside from its too long runtime. It's notable that all the famous scenes are in the first half except for "I don't give a damn." However, it's a movie that needs to be too big and too long. The excess is part of its charm, and it gets more thoughtful and complex in the second half, so it's not a disaster. Gone With the Wind is easily dismissed these days because of the racism, with justification, but I see that as more of a process of history than a real criticism of the film. It has to be rejected while most films of that era are simply forgotten, and it will eventually be looked on as an artifact of history like Birth of a Nation or Uncle Tom's Cabin. What doesn't often get mentioned is how this massive epic movie is carried by a female protagonist, with a remarkable performance by Vivian Leigh. Even in the modern era that's rare enough to be noteworthy, and Gone With the Wind pulls it off better than any of them.

Alan Partridge returns with a two season daytime magazine talk show, and Steve Coogan proves once again that he's the king of cringe comedy. If you don't know who Alan Partridge is, do yourself a favor and dive in to one of the greatest comic characters ever created.

Revisiting the one Alan Partridge feature film and it's delightfully funny. Set almost entirely in a radio station, it's only slightly more ambitious than his many TV series. You kind of hope for more to justify making a feature, but at least you get Colm Meaney.

It's getting hard to keep track of all the David Attenborough documentaries. The first season of Our Planet debuted in 2019 (that was the one with the suicidal walruses), so this second season is five years later. And of course it's different from the three Planet Earth series and the two Blue Planets and Frozen Planet. It's a game of "wait, have I seen that one?" Season 2 is focused on animal migration, with cheesy episode cliffhangers and the "kilometers" drinking game. Stunning nature photography as usual, although nothing really stood out. Be sure to dig into the Netflix menus for the making of extras.

Here's some quick thoughts about the features I saw at KC FilmFest, although I wouldn't say anything was that remarkable or must-see. I've ranked best to worst:

Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between - solid doc about a little known rock musician

An Open Door: Temple Grandin - solid doc about the famed agriculture professor

Cannibal Mukbang - predictable but solid horror film with strong performances

White Buffalo Presents: Voices of the West - rambling doc about Indian cowboys in Montana, but great if you like horses and mountains.

Look at Me - Autobiographical feature about a male actor with an eating disorder

Undivide Us - Doc about an organization trying to bridge our political divide

Funny Kind Crazy Clever - Local feature that's charming but sloppily directed

Black Sugar Red Blood - Doc about tracing the lineage of a woman who was in Auschwitz as a child.

Underneath: Children of the Sun - Ambitious but exposition-laden sci-fi movie